Hilton Head’s Hidden Havens: The 8 Least Crowded Beach in Hilton Head
When you just want to find your own pocket of peace, only the least crowded South Carolina beach will do. These are the best options for quiet beaches in Hilton Head.
What are the least crowded beaches in Hilton Head?
If you are looking for the least crowded beach in Hilton Head, South Carolina, free of people, these beaches are your best bet.
- Mitchelville Beach
- Coligny Beach
- Driessen Beach Park
- Folly Field Beach
- Braddock Point Beach
- Coligny Beach Park
- Burkes Beach
- Singleton Beach
A vacation in Hilton Head is an amazing experience with its stunning views, white sand beaches, and perfectly balmy weather.
While the most popular beaches can fill up quickly with locals and tourists alike, here are a few hidden havens on the island that are far enough off the beaten path to have plenty of space to enjoy a peaceful day creature-spotting in the lagoons or napping while listening to gentle waves.
About Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island is an incredible island located in the Low Country of South Carolina’s coast. This East Coast treasure is known for its 12 miles of seaside bliss and top tier golf courses on a barrier island just forty minutes outside of Savannah Georgia.
If you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and find yourself a quiet beach on Hilton Head, there are a few places you can begin your search.
We’ve listed our top choices below.
Uncrowded Beaches Around Hilton Head
Mitchelville Beach
Mitchelville Beach is a pristine paradise located on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. It is so wild and rugged that you may even be able to spot deer tracks on the sand.
With its white-sand shores and crystal clear waters.The beach is known for providing seclusion and privacy, allowing visitors to get away from the busier beaches for some peace and quiet.
It’s not just about relaxation though, because Mitchellville also offers plenty to do in this peaceful respite including swimming, fishing, camping, and kayaking. Additionally, the abundance of natural scenery present at Mitchellville makes it a great spot for photography or even just a peaceful stroll as you take in the beauty of nature.
You can follow Beach City Road from the Hilton Head Airport to find this hidden gem.
Coligny Beach
Hilton Head’s most central uncrowded beach might be this one. Coligny Beach at Hilton Head is one of the least crowded beaches. Even with its prime location, it manages to maintain an atmosphere of relaxation and quietness, especially in the down season.
Coligny Beach might be the ultimate combination of uncrowded while still having plenty of surrounding amenities from its downtown location in Hilton Head. This is a great spot for swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, playing beach games like volleyball or frisbee, sunbathing, fishing off the piers, or exploring on the nature trails.
Driessen Beach Park
Driessen Beach Park is one of the hidden gems around Hilton Head, an uncrowded beach park with a short walk down the boardwalk that weaves through blissfully quiet beachside vegetation.
A reasonably isolated stretch of shoreline, it is also disability friendly with beach mats for accessibility. There is endless potential to explore this shoreline by kayak or paddleboard. Slides, trails, and picnic tables under the shade of tall cedars make this a perfect spot year round. We should also mention there is free parking here, so you won’t have to run back to a meter every hour!
Folly Field Beach
Folly Field Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Hilton Head area that still goes under the radar with the crowds. Known as a “local’s beach” is great for those who are looking to enjoy nature’s beauty in peace and quiet. As opposed to a resort style beach (Palmetto Dunes), this one is more natural.
The wooden walkway that yields the way to the beach is lined with tall oaks and squat Palmettos. The beach itself fronts a quaint town that is perfect for strolling with plenty of great eating options along the way.
Braddock Point Beach
Braddock Point Beach is one of the most secluded beaches for a quiet beach day. Located on the southern tip of Hilton Head Island and west of Daufuskie Island the beach is narrow, long and perfect for shelling at low tide. This peaceful spot is a great place to avoid the big crowds of some of the more central beaches.
A small trail from the road will take you down a path to the beach. While some of the other beaches on this list are great for outdoors activities, this hidden gem is most well known as a great walking beach. Many locals prefer this beach for its easy access and to avoid high season tourist traffic.
Coligny Beach Park
This generally quiet beach is very family friendly and yes, popular, but it is large enough to find a quiet stretch of sand to relax. It’s termed a “beach park” because of its easy public access and wealth of amenities like outdoor showers, gazebos, and covered and uncovered picnic areas.
Beach life is at full swing here! This wide beach is perfect to spend the day lying on the pleasant beach or rent bikes and kayaks to explore the different sections of the park. You may even be lucky enough to spot some dolphins frolicking around in the water, fiddler crabs building their kingdoms, or if bird watching, catch glimpses of birds like pelicans flying around.
Furthermore, there are outdoor grilling areas where families can gather and have a picnic with family and friends so you can make long lasting memories while enjoying all that nature has to offer.
This is the most popular beach on our list for families. Kids will love the splash pad and park areas on the sandy shores and parents will love the ease of access via a boardwalk from town where there is a parking lot. Get there early as there is limited parking at this beach.
Honorable mentions for quiet beaches (especially during down season) are South Forest Beach, Kiawah Island beaches and Burkes Beach.
Burkes Beach
Burkes Beach is located near Chaplin Park, and is one of the wide beaches right at the end of the similarly titled Burkes Beach Road. Burkes Beach is the least crowded beach in Hilton Head, and this tranquil setting is ideal for swimming, bicycling, and photography. The area is not a hotspot for tourists, but that simply makes it more of a local gem in Hilton Head.
Burkes Beach’s sandy pathway is great for pictures as it is less crowded, and the grassy areas on either side are great for a picnic. You can always go for a swim, and there are sports courts, a dog park, tennis courts, and open fields to choose from.
Just like Mitchelville Beach, this easily qualifies as one of the least crowded beaches in South Carolina and is ideal if you are looking for some quiet time, a short walk, and some breeze.
If you are also looking for a dog park near the beach, you could try Chaplin Community Park, which is less than five minutes away. This is one of the most diverse parks, heavily shaded and with picnic tables, making it a peaceful spot to spend your day.
Singleton Beach
Singleton Beach is long, wide, and famous for its abundance of fun and exciting bike paths to explore. A break from the hectic, car-filled world outside is very nice. Not many places in South Carolina can offer you the peace and quiet of nature like this one.
All along the wide and long, cyclists will be treated to breathtaking scenery of the sea and surrounding. The abundance of bike lanes makes renting or buying a bike simple after you get here, but you should still bring your own if you can.
This is not only a pleasant alternative to driving, as it is free of traffic noise and exhaust, but also an interesting tourist destination in its own right, as it gives you the freedom to explore watersports of your liking. You can also get access to the private beach at Hilton Head Island using the WilliamHilton Parkway.
Bonus Beach Neart Hilton Head: Edisto Island
While it’s not actually in Hilton Head, Edisto Island might be worthy of a visit.
Edisto Island is located approximately 70 miles southwest of Hilton Head, SC. The driving time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Edisto Island is a prime destination to kick back, relax, and experience the peace of nature at its finest. This island off the coast of South Carolina provides some of the most peaceful beach fronts around Hilton Head without the throngs of uncomfortable crowds that can often accompany trips to better-known beach towns.
There are plenty of activities on Edisto Island both on land and in the ocean. Like most Hilton Head region beaches, outdoor sports abound from kayaking to fishing.
This area is also a naturalist dream with the Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve and Edisto Island Serpentarium in the same area.
Key Takeaways
- While Hilton Head is a popular beach destination, there are plenty of less crowded options.
- For a rugged and quiet beach full of nature, Mitchelville Beach is ideal.
- While Folly Field Beach is located conveniently in town, it is relatively uncrowded.